Hide and Seek
by Hello-Seattle04
Summary: A young Prince Kai has always wanted to explore New Beijing, and a hide and seek game seems like the perfect opportunity. Lunar Chronicles one-shot.


Disclaimer- The Lunar Chronicles and all of the characters belong to Marissa Meyer

The young Prince Kai had always been a rather adventurous child, which wasn't always a good thing, especially to Konn Torin. Because he, the emperor's most trusted assistant, was given the important task of keeping Kai inside the palace, as opposed to exploring New Beijing.

Many days, Kai was very vocal in his desires to see the entirety of the city, his usual tactics to escape the confines of the palace including shouting, pleading, crying, and begging. He'd have to be dragged, kicking and screaming back to his room and wait for at least a half hour before he could be quieted. All for the process to be repeated within the next hour.

However, today was one of the "special" days where Kai decided not to say anything about his ambition to wander New Beijing, instead, to sneak around through the palace in an amateur attempt to leave the grounds.

It had started off when Kai had requested to play a game of hide-and-seek with Torin. Really. It had. Just a simple game. The only rules including "no going beyond the palace doors", "don't disturb your father", and "no visiting the labs."

Two of the aforementioned rules were very simple for Kai to follow, those had been drilled into him from the day he'd started walking. But one rule was actually quite complicated, and all because of a simple question: Why? Why couldn't he? He was a prince, shouldn't he be able to visit any place he wanted? Especially his own city.

So Kai had demanded to be the one who counted first, and with a sigh, Torin agreed. He'd have to find a tactful hiding spot, of course, so as to keep an eye on the prince, but still, Kai was smart, he would be able to discover any of the places Torin would've hid in normally within minutes.

"One, two, three, four." Kai said softly, peeking through his fingers and watching Torin disappear around a corner, probably to hide beneath the small couch they kept. "Five, six, seven." he slowly backed away down the hallway, not daring to remove his hands from his eyes in the fear of getting caught cheating. Not that he would get caught, but still, one could never be too careful.

"Eight, nine, teneleventwelve." Once he'd determined he was far enough away from where Torin had hidden, he dashed down the hall towards where he hoped to find the large chandelier that meant he was a few minutes away from one of the palace's side entrances.

There was a single guard standing by the door, staring at the ceiling as if memorizing the pattern of marble, but his gaze immediately dropped down to the floor as he saw the prince heading out the door.

"Where are you going?"

Kai stopped dead in his tracks and spun around slowly to face the guard. He was one of the new recruits, Kai noted.

"I'm playing hide and seek."

"Why don't you just find somewhere to hide inside?" the guard suggested, kneeling down on the carpeted floors to meet Kai's eyes.

"Because I'm hiding from Torin and I wanted a reeaaallllly good hiding spot." Kai's voice rose slightly as he lied, wearing a forced smile that he hoped looked realistic. "Please?"

There were others patrolling the garden, the guard reasoned, and he nodded, standing up straight again as Kai ran out the door, the sound of footsteps quickly fading. Looking back at the ceiling (the cracks in the marble hadn't seemed to change) and sighed once again.

Kai was beyond elated at being let into the gardens, which was a rare treat (if he was accompanied with at least three guards and Torin). The bushes were short enough for even Kai to see over, and he quickly spotted the old, heavy, steel gates surrounding his home. Four uniformed men paraded around the entrance, another sitting behind a small desk.

After a good fifteen minutes of struggling to reach the gates, Kai had made it, and from four feet away, hiding beneath a rather prickly bush, he could see the city, buildings on the horizon, lights glowing in windows. The faint aroma of an unidentifiable food. Green in the form of trees dotting the city. It was amazing.

Soon, he told himself. He'd see it soon.

When Kai hadn't come for him immediately after his chants of numbers had faded away, Torin hadn't been worried. Honestly, he'd been pleased that he was able to trick the prince this time. But as time started passing, Torin realized that Kai had done Something.

A Something that may or may not have involved sneaking away from his babysitter- no, not babysitter, caretaker- to explore New Beijing.

Groaning, Torin climbed out from underneath the unfortunately short couch, back cracking in the process. His clothing was slightly wrinkled and he tried to smooth the creases out halfheartedly, but to no avail. They would stay.

Torin walked out of the room, trying to mask his worry with the façade of calm he would often wear. Thankfully it was a practiced look, and he walked through the halls with ease, trying to determine where a small boy would go if he was trying to leave a palace.

Rounding a corner, Torin saw one of the newer guards stand and stare lazily at the ceiling.

"Have you seen Prince Kai?" he called, sighing internally.

"He went outside." the guard replied. "Give him a few minutes to hide, though."

"What?"

"Aren't you two playing hide and seek?" chuckling, the guard looked over at the emperor's assistant. "That's what he said." he explained anxiously as he saw the look of confusion, then disbelief flicker over Torin's face. "Oh."

Torin stormed out the door, not bothering to respond to the guard. He scanned the gardens for any sign of Kai before scowling and beginning to walk farther out and away from the palace.

Kai was going to get quite the talking to when Torin found him.

The guards weren't moving.

And it was very annoying, especially to the prince, still laying silently beneath the bushes in quiet anticipation of the moment he'd get to run out beyond the gates and through the crowded streets of New Beijing.

But for now, he was stuck with trying to make himself as comfortable as possible in the bushes, which was actually fairly difficult.

Kai wondered whether Torin was looking for him by now, and a part of him believed that he was and that Torin was somewhat worried for his charge. On the other hand, it was Torin, Torin the somewhat uptight advisor of his father. Torin didn't always seem to care, more like Kai could be a chore at times, another item on his checklist.

So he waited for what seemed like forever and ever until one of the guards started jogging in his direction.

Kai gasped quietly, curling into a tiny ball, not wanting to be found. Eyes wide, he watched the guard pass by. He exhaled in relief, still silent, hopeful, waiting, watching for the others to leave as well.

Until he heard Torin's voice.

"Have you seen the Prince?"

Kai frowned. He hadn't expected Torin to find him so quickly.

"No, he hasn't come over. Why?"

"He's got to be around here somewhere." To an onlooker, Torin would've seemed indifferent, but Kai could hear the worry creeping into his voice.

"Haven't seen him."

"Well then, look! We don't need him running off."

Sighing, the guard walked by Kai's bush again, returning to his post at the gates. Kai could hear him mumbling to the man sitting at the desk.

"Kai?" Torin spoke softly. "If you're hiding, please come out."

Kai shook his head as a 'no'.

"Come on, Kai, this isn't hide and seek. You've gotta come out."

No.

"You'll get to see all of the world one day, promise."

Doubtful.

"If I can't even see New Beijing, how will I ever see the world?" Kai's response isn't more than a whisper, but he can almost see Torin stopping and turning towards his voice.

"Kai? Is that you?" footsteps come towards the young prince.

"If I can't even see New Beijing, how will I ever see the world?" this time, Kai speaks louder.

"Come out here, Kai." Torin sighs, some relief in his voice. Still not addressing the question.

"If I can't even see New Beijing, how will I ever see the world." Kai pokes his head out from under the bushes and Torin spins around to face him. "Answer."

"Listen." Grabbing Kai's arms, Torin pulls Kai out from under the bushes with some difficulty. The sharp edges of the leaves stick on the prince's clothing and neither speaks until Kai is standing next to the emperor's advisor. "You are going to be the emperor, someday."

"Yes, I know that." Kai says impatiently.

"And you will get to see the world then."

"So why can't I see it now?"

"Because…" Torin stares down at the child's face. Curiosity raging in his eyes, Kai steps closer to Torin. "Honestly, I don't know. Come along, Kai." he takes Kai's somewhat grimy hand in his and begins to lead him out of the gardens.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything?" After a good minute of silence Kai is the first one to speak.

"I told you, I don't know why you're not allowed to leave. I follow these orders, Kai, because I have to, because they keep you safe."

Kai pauses to consider this. "Would you disobey an order to keep me safe?"

"Yes."

"Even if it was dangerous?"

"If it was safer than the alternative."

"Okay." The guard is still examining the ceiling as Torin and Kai enter the palace. He nods in their direction, not bothering with any protocol.

Silence once again, only broken by the clattering of a train of people- chefs, waiters, waitresses- carrying various trays (none were mirrored) piled high with various foods. Torin brushed his hand across Kai's head, gently pushing him to the side to let the men, women and androids pass. The motion sweeps Kai's thin hair away from his ear, revealing the small scar behind his ear that hides the second ID chip he'd gotten implanted a week ago.

Only the Emperor, Torin and a few others knew about that. For emergencies; Kai reflected. To keep the prince safe. Of course he'd do what he'd have to to keep the kid away from harm. After all, Torin had been Kai's babysitter- no, not babysitter, caretaker- from when Kai was an infant. He'd been half raising the kid. Naturally, Torin cared.

"Torin?" Kai asked once the group had turned a corner, childlike innocence sparkling in his eyes.

"Yes?"

"Do you think we can play hide and seek again tomorrow?"


End file.
